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History

On November 24th, 2009 was signed the agreement by which, for first time, CNEA and CONICET join together organic and institutional efforts creating an Institute that has the academic framework of the UNSAM. The aim of this new Institute is the research, development and training of qualified personnel in experiments and technologies associated with the sciences of the universe and astroparticles.

The Instituto de Tecnologías en Detección y Astropartículas (Technology in Detection and Astroparticles Institute -ITeDA-) is created jointly by the Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (National Atomic Energy Commision -CNEA-), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (National Council of Scientific and Technical Research -CONICET-) and Universidad Nacional de San Martín (National University of San Martín -UNSAM-).

It is the first institute formed between two of the most recognized institutions in the country in the field of scientific and technological research, CNEA and CONICET, to which is added UNSAM by developing an active and recognized policy of partnership with organisms of science and technology.

For half a century, CNEA and CONICET have had a fruitful partnership grounded by hundreds of scientists and technologists from the CONICET researcher career, who were simultaneously members of the CNEA or had in there a workplace, and by the subsides that, through the years, CONICET granted it to supplement multiple research projects of the CNEA.

An antecedent, distant in time but close on the subject, was constituted by the CNEA collaboration in the foundation in 1964 of the Centro Nacional de Radiación Cósmica (National Center for Cosmic Radiation), one of the first institutes of CONICET, which in 1969 became the Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (Astronomy and Space Physics Institute -IAFE-). The National Center for Cosmic Radiation had as antecedent the Laboratorio de Radiación Cósmica (Cosmic Radiation Laboratory) of the CNEA than in the 50's was a pioneer in the field of what is now known as astroparticles.

Released from the roofs of the building of CNEA, a balloon to measure cosmic radiation, as part of the research, led by J.G. Roederer, were performed in the Laboratory of Cosmic Radiation.

Researchers from CONICET and CNEA have participated since its inception in the activities of the Pierre Auger Observatory, an international scientific enterprise that had the visionary local association of the CNEA. For CONICET, the ITeDA creation opens a new stage in the relationship with CNEA and a willingness to jointly conduction in scientific research and technology generation, which is an important part of their institutional objectives.

For its part, the UNSAM has materialized it since its inception a sustained collaboration with the CNEA with the creation of the degree and PhD careers in materials, physics and nuclear technology in the Sabato and Beninson institutes, and with CONICET, hosting numerous researchers and participating in the joint management of the Instituto de Investigaciones Biotencnológicas (Biotechnology Research Institute) and Instituto de Tecnología de Chascomus (Technology Institute of Chascomus).

The ITeDA creation is a milestone in the coordination of research and technology in the country to bring together these institutions in an organic management collaboration, objectives, strategic guidelines and evaluation.

November 2009: delivery of the first particle detector built in the area of ITeDA, Centro Atómico Constituyentes. It will be installed at the Pierre Auger Observatory, in the Province of Mendoza. The counter has an area of 5 m2 and consists of two planes (one on each side of the white dome) 32 plastic scintillator rods, each 2 m long × 4.1 cm wide × 1.0 cm thick. Each rod has an optical fiber of 0.8 mm diameter which carries the incident light produced by the white dome containing fast electronics, high density and low power particles. The detector is covered by PVC profiles ‘U’ to provide mechanical rigidity and is subject to a yellow perch for management.

The ITeDA contributes internationally in the study and detection of radiation from the outer space along the whole electromagnetic spectrum and especially astroparticles (atomic nuclei, gamma rays and neutrinos). Also investigate in observational cosmology (dark matter and dark energy). It ranks Argentina internationally with the goal to promove the installation in the country of other facilities as the Pierre Auger Observatory. It makes innovative technological developments primarily in electronics, telecommunications, data aquisition system and atmospherics monitoring. Consequently, with the academic support of UNSAM, is formed personnel highly qualified, generating a place of excellence for the realization of PhD in engineering.

The Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía (Argentinian Radioastronomy Institute -IAR-) wants to impulse together with ITeDA the necesary developments for large international collaborations as AGIS/CTA (see www.agis-observatory.org and www.cta-observatory.org) be established in Argentina. Similarly the astroparticles group of CEA (Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique, France) has expressed interest to collaborate with ITeDA in technological developments in carbon fibers for CTA.

The agreement of the creation of ITeDA was initialed in the "Emma Pérez Ferreira" Auditorium of the Centro Atómico Constituyentes, in presence of the Science, Technology and Productive Innovation Minister, Dr. Lino Barañao, on behalf of CNEA President, Lic. Norma Boero, CONICET President, Dr. Marta Rovira and the chancellor of UNSAM, Dr. Carlos Ruta. In the same opportunity was signed an agreement of the collaboration between ITeDA and the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) from Germany (the agreements are availables for download in the "Attachments" section).

On May 4th, 2012, on Stuttgart, Germany, members of the Helmholtz Alliance for Astroparticle Physics (HAP) voted unanimously in favor of incorporation of ITeDA as an associated member of the Alliance, an honor it shares with the Instituto Astroparticule et Cosmologie from Paris and the KAVLI institute for Cosmological Physics of Chicago.

The Alliance is formed for an important group of german and foreign partners, all dedicated to explore the borders of the science in the astroparticles area, this is, atomic nuclei, gamma radiation and neutrinos that arrive to the Earth from the outer space. Is integrated by two Helmholtz centres (the largest scientific institution of Germany, with a budget for 2012 exceeding 3.3 billion euros), fifteen german universities and three Max Planck institutes. ITeDA is since today part of this Alliance, allowing its Director, Dr. Alberto Etchegoyen, take a chair in the Board of Directors of the Alliance and decide with his colleagues the interest investigation lines issues and the management of fundsawarded. For further information check the web page: http://www.hap-astroparticle.org/.

On September 21, 2017 the Helmohltz International Research School "Astroparticle Physics and Enabling Technologies" between KIT-UNSAM was approved in Berlin. This graduate schools involves PhD students in both physics and engineering research.